And caleb r



(No Model.)

'T. EVANS.

FIFTH WHEEL. No. 289,767; Patented Dec. 4, 1883.

v4 WW I 4, 11-1 I INVENTOR: Ira/r 1 ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS EVANS, OF GRAVESEND, ASSIGN OR OF TWO-THIRDS TO WILLIAM H.ROBERTS, OF NEW YORK, AND CALEB R. TURNER, OF BROOKLYN, N. Y.

FIFTH-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,767, dated December4, 188

Application filed April 26, 1883.

I all whom it nut concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS Evans, of Gravesend, in the county of Kingsand State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Fifth-Wheel forWagons, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a sectional elevation, showing my new and improvedfifth-wheel applied to a platform spring-wagon. Fig. 2 is a broken planview of the fifth-wheel removed from the wagon, and Fig. 3 is a detailedsectional elevation taken on the line a: x of Fig. 2.

The object of the invention is to reduce the friction of fifth-wheels toas great a degree as possible, and for that purpose I employ the meanshereinafter described, and pointed out in the claim.

Referring to the drawings, the wagon-box A and the running-gear B,consisting of the wheels, axles, springs, &c., may be of any approvedconstruction.

0 is the upper portion of the fifth-wheel, which isattached to the box Ain the same manner that the upper portions of the ordinary fifth-wheelsare attached; and D is the lower portion of the fifth-wheel, which isattached upon the cross-pieces ca of the runninggear in the ordinary orin any approved manner. The upper portion, 0, is a circularchannel-plate used in an inverted position, and is by preference cast ofmalleable iron or steel, with the central downwardly-projectingwearing-surface, b, that runs upon the anti-friction rollers E, and thisportion 0 is made of a width between its flanges 0 0 to properly fitover and inclose the upper edges of the flanges d d of the lowerportion, D, which portion D is also a circular channel-plate, used withthe (No model.)

flanges d d, upright, and corresponding in size with the upper portion,0. This portion D is also by preference cast of malleable iron or steel,and 'ithas the central depression, 12, formed in it, which correspondswith the wearing-surface b of the upper portion, 0, for theanti-friction rollers E to run in. The friction- 5o rollers Eare'journaled in the side rims, ff, of the circular skeleton frame F,which frame fits in the lower portion, D, 'of the fifth-wheel, as shownclearly in the drawings, and the rollers E are made slightly conical ortapering from their outer ends inward, so that they will roll freelybetween the circular upper and lower portions, 0 D, without canting orcramping, as they would be liable to do if made of like diameterthroughout. Constructed in this manner, it will be seen theanti-friction Wheels are applied to the fifth-wheel in apracti calmanner, and that they reduce the friction between the upper and lowerparts of the fifthwheel, and therefore not only render it more durable,but make the turning of the wagon much easier for the team. I

Although I have shown and described in invention as applied to platformspring-wagons, it is obvious that it may be applied with equal facilityto other forms of wagons and not depart from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent A fifth-wheel formed of two circular channel-plates, OD, provided with interlapping flanges 0 d and the corresponding centraldepression and wearing-surface b b, in combination with the circularskeleton frame F and the conical rollers E, journaled in the rims f of80 said frame, as shown and described.

THOMAS EVANS.

Witnesses HENRY L. GOODWIN, EDwD. M. CLARK.

